Boy attacked by dogs now in stable condition

A six-year-old boy, on his way to school with a group of kids when he was attacked by a pack of dogs, has been upgraded to stable condition.

Shamattawa chief William Miles said the boy, who was flown to Winnipeg Monday after being treated at the local nursing station, has had surgery and is in stable condition, with his grandmother at his side.

"We've heard that he's going to be OK," Miles said in a telephone interview.

Miles said at least three dogs were involved in the attack in the community, located 1,300 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, but were shot by band officials and local RCMP officers.

"They were pretty close to school, but they had to walk through the bush at one point, and that's when it happened," Miles said. "(The children) are all quite small, so they were quite helpless."

Shamattawa resident Henrida Thomas said the little boy was bitten on the head and neck.

Miles said stray dogs are a serious problem in the community. "We are always trying to get that under control, the dog populations," he said, noting dog culls are usually done twice a year.

He said the dogs reproduce quickly. "They are more aggressive and dangerous when they are mating, right now, and they get in packs."

He said a number of dogs were shot after the incident, and two of them were being shipped to Winnipeg to be tested for diseases.

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